Stands Out

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Cabernet Sauvignon Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finish

48% ABV
$45
Website
Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Cabernet Sauvignon Finish
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition.

Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world.

A combination of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a ryed – and finished for six months in cabernet barrels for an unforgettable layer of complexity.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Finish has been rested for six months in cabernet sauvignon barrels from the Napa region in California for an additional level of complexity.

“The secondary aging in the cabernet sauvignon and French oak barrels adds a nice extra layer of flavor with a slight sweet fruitiness and oaky caramel undertones,” adds Rempe.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smoothness from the barrel finish with hints of fruit and oak
FINISH: Long, warm finish with a hint of spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak, toasted vanilla, honey, hint of berries with wine cask and spice notes.
Palate:  Sweet with berries, orange and honey, vanilla, a bit of cinnamon and pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with fruit notes and pepper.
Comments:  This is the third in the lineup I tasted, and is a bigger departure from the non-finished straight bourbon than the French Oak cask finished. Very similar on the nose to both of those, and just a touch less smooth on the palate while also not being as sharp. More fruity for sure, and also a bit more dry. I’m not a big wine drinker, so apologies there – although as there aren’t a ton of cabernet sauvignon cask finished straight bourbons on the market, if you’re a fan of that this might be in your wheelhouse.

Rating: Stands Out

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon – French Oak Finish

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon
French Oak Cask Finish

48% ABV
$45
Website
Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon French Oak Finish
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition.

Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world.

A combination of two bourbon mashbills – a wheated and a ryed – and finished for six months in French oak barrels for an unforgettable layer of complexity.

The French Oak Finish has been rested in French oak barrels for six months for a hint of dry oak.

“The secondary aging in the cabernet sauvignon and French oak barrels adds a nice extra layer of flavor with a slight sweet fruitiness and oaky caramel undertones,” adds Rempe.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smoothness from the barrel finish with hints of chocolate and oak
FINISH: Long, warm finish with hints of spicy oak

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak just toasted, vanilla, spongecake with subtle baking spice, honey, hint of caramel and chocolate.
Palate:  Sweet with honey, vanilla, bit of milk chocolate and more pronounced spices of allspice and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderately long with honey and pepper spice.
Comments:  This is fairly similar to the non-finished bourbon with a bit more spice and chocolate notes (and the finish is a tad longer). Nicely done where the finish is adding something without overwhelming the bourbon, and keeping that familial profile.  Hate to provide spoilers, but this is my favorite of the three Daviess County Bourbon’s I tried, but only slightly.

Rating: Stands Out

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Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon

48% ABV
$40
Website
Daviess County Straight Bourbon
We would like to thank Lux Row Distillers and Common Ground PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

A nod to the past. A sip of the future.
With a heritage dating back to 1874, Daviess County Distilling Company was one of the first great bourbon distilleries of Kentucky. It also paved the way for more than a dozen other distilleries that opened in Daviess County pre-Prohibition.

Now, in honor of the county’s rich history, we are reintroducing Daviess County Bourbon to the world.

A unique combination of two bourbon mashbills – a smooth wheated and a traditional ryed – for a balanced sweetness and spice.

“The combination of mash bills really sets this bourbon apart – the smooth wheated mash bill and the traditional spicy ryed mash bill come together for a balanced taste profile,” says John Rempe, Head Distiller at Lux Row Distillers.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Honey, vanilla, and caramel
PALATE: Smooth notes of honey, vanilla, and caramel
FINISH: Long, warm, sweet finish with a hint of spice

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fresh hewn oak, vanilla bean, roasted corn bread with butter and honey, subtle baking spices, a hint of caramel.
Palate:  Sweet and smooth with honey, vanilla, a hint of caramel corn followed by a touch of allspice and gentle pepper.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with honey and soft spice.
Comments:  This is a pretty nice bourbon. Appreciate it being bottled at 96 proof, although it drinks like a lower proof bourbon to me. Nice balance, and definitely softer than a typical rye-mashbill bourbon, but a bit more spice than a typical wheater. Lux Row Distillery hasn’t been distilling long enough to have a no-age statement straight bourbon (and to be clear, their label doesn’t try to claim that in any way). I inquired if they would share who distilled this particular product, and their response was as follows:  Yes, this is sourced bourbon as the Lux Row Distillers distillate is still resting comfortably in their barrels. We have many relationships in the bourbon industry that have been great partners over the years. There is nothing wrong with sourced bourbon, and if I had to guess, the distillate came Heaven Hill (who make some pretty damn good whiskey).  All that said, other than striking a solid balance between wheater and rye, this one didn’t leave a memorable impression.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Compass Box Rogues’ Banquet
Blended Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$220 – $240
Website
Compass Box Rogues Banquet Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

When we conceived the idea for Rogues’ Banquet last year, we felt that a collection of our favourite Compass Box personalities and an opulent liquid would be the ideal means by which to begin our 20th anniversary celebrations. We could not have known that, by the time our whisky arrived in the parts of the world that had placed orders for it, all get-togethers would have to be put on hold. For a while – we trust not forever.

Rogues’ Banquet is made for the gourmands and the hedonists who have accompanied us for the last 20 years. The label shows a fantastical depiction of the kind of gatherings we hope to have in the future when we have all overcome these present circumstances.

To create Rogues’ Banquet, we have combined malt whiskies from the Miltonduff, Clynelish and Glen Elgin Distilleries with grain whisky from the North British Distillery. Rogues’ Banquet offers an opulent array of textures as well as flavours, from tropical fruits to stem ginger and toffee.

The whisky has been dispatched; it will start to appear on shelves around the world soon. Whenever the right time to open a bottle of Rogues’ Banquet arrives, to share and enjoy it with suitable exuberance, we will be with you. In the meantime, please support your communities.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
Rogues’ Banquet boasts flavours of softened tropical fruits, stem ginger and pastry cream. Fragrant yet full-bodied, it has a long and satisfying finish.

Not Chill-Filtered
Natural Colour
A limited edition of 5,267 bottles.
February 2020.
Lead Whiskymaker: James Saxon

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, creamy, musky and fruity, a comfortable leather chair in an oak paneled library; apricots, figs, apples, pears, peaches, hint of mango, gentle spices with almonds.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with apricots and papaya, a nutty spice note with nutmeg, pepper, and orange bitters.
Finish:  Long, slightly drying with cracked pepper, oak and dried fruit.
Comments:  Ok, I’m definitely biased when I read ‘Compass Box’ on the label because much of what they put out there I enjoy either a little or a lot. This is a deliciously complex dram, like so many others they produce. But many others are less expensive. If this was $125-$150, I’d be all over it. Price/value is an individual decision – I can’t say it isn’t worth it; only that there are other whiskies they’ve put out for much less that I liked a lot. This takes water well, but at 46% ABV doesn’t need it.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Joseph Magnus Private Barrel Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Joseph Magnus Exclusive Private Barrel Bourbon
Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks

Liquor Barn – Bottle 3 of 135

52.1% ABV
$100-$130 (varies by age/retailer)
Website
Joseph Magnus Bourbon Exclusive Private Barrel

What the Producer Says

Jos. A. Magnus is pleased to offer a limited private barrel selection program. Contact us for more information.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and fruity, cinnamon with toffee, caramel, notes of balsamic, and a slight mineral note.
Palate:  Butterscotch & toffee soaked in brandy, honey, vanilla with a pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying to oak and cinnamon dusted apple chips.
Comments:  As a single barrel program, these will vary from selection to selection, including age (this particular bottle didn’t list any age, but I’ve seen several that do) and finishing cask. This particular offering was a cognac finish, and a bit heavy handed on the finish for my liking. I’ve participated in private selections where the timing from the selection to bottling stretches out many months, so not sure if this was what they had wanted (fans of cognac might love it!) A bit of water improves this one quite a bit, and while the finish is a bit more prominent for my liking, I wouldn’t turn down a pour if offered.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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